The term lone worker refers to workplaces where activities are carried out by one person alone, i.e. out of call and sight of other people.
The assessment and classification of lone working into different risk levels is crucial for the implementation of specific occupational health and safety measures.
Lone worker jobs range from office work to technical maintenance and repair work, from inspection rounds in large systems to work in automated production processes or in confined spaces.
The most important facts in brief
Lone worker workstations are workstations where activities are carried out by one person alone, out of call and sight of other people. They are common in many industries and fields of activity.
✓ A special risk assessment is required in accordance with Section 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in order to define specific measures for the protection of persons working alone and to fulfill first aid obligations in an emergency.
✓ Protective measures at lone worker workstations are based on the TOP principle: technical measures such as personal emergency signal systems (PNA), organizational measures such as patrols and personal measures such as protective equipment.
Why are there stand-alone workstations?
Technological progress : The automation of work processes through technological advances in robotics, artificial intelligence and digital communication make it possible to perform many tasks alone.
Flexibility and mobility: New opportunities, such as working from home, allow employees to complete tasks from different locations. As a result, employees are increasingly working alone, whether from home or at other remote locations. The increased absence of colleagues due to working from home also often leads to employees working alone in the office.
Cost savings: The new technologies enable a more efficient use of resources. Companies reduce their costs by using automation to make work processes more efficient and reduce personnel.
Specialization: For some tasks, e.g. technical maintenance and servicing, specialist staff are required. The prevailing shortage of skilled workers requires efficient deployment of personnel and means that skilled workers often have to work alone and therefore out of call and sight of other people.
Legal basis for lone working
Working alone is generally not prohibited, even in late or night shifts, because working alone does not automatically pose a risk to employees.
However, if an employee is employed alone at a workplace, a special risk assessment is required in accordance with Section 5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
In this assessment, specific measures must be defined in order to fulfill the company's obligations to ensure first aid in an emergency in accordance with Section 24 of DGUV Regulation 1 "Principles of Prevention".
In particular, it must be ensured that first aid is provided immediately after an accident and that the necessary medical treatment is arranged.
Depending on the hazard situation, it may be necessary to equip affected persons with a personal emergency signal system (PNA) when working alone. DGUV Rule 112-139 sets out the requirements for the use of personal emergency signal systems when working alone. Although it is not legally binding, compliance is expected in order to improve occupational safety.
Risk assessment at lone worker workstations
Risk assessment when working alone is an essential part of occupational health and safety in order to ensure the health and safety of employees.
In certain work areas, dangerous work is carried out alone, which is associated with particularly high risks. These cases require special protective measures.
The risk assessment begins with the identification of all possible hazards in the workplace. It is important not only to determine the hazards themselves, but also to evaluate them in relation to the individual physical and mental capacity of the lone worker. You can find out more about this in our comprehensive sample guide to risk assessment.
The calculation of the risk potential arising from the dangers of working alone is carried out by classifying the activities into hazard levels, determining the probability of an emergency and taking into account the time required for first aid measures at the accident site.
The resulting risk value indicates whether the lone worker workstation has an acceptable risk or whether additional protective measures are required. A value above 30 indicates an unacceptable risk.
Protective measures at lone working stations
The employer is obliged to equip lone workers' workplaces with suitable health and safety measures. These are based on the so-called TOP principle:
Technical protective measures: These include, for example, the use of telephones, personal emergency signaling systems, emergency apps with intentional and unintentional alarm transmission as well as two-way radios or video equipment. Technical measures are considered to be the most effective in occupational safety and are therefore ranked first according to the TOP principle.
Organizational measures: These include inspection rounds by a second person and timed inspection calls.
Personal measures: Personal measures should only be used if technical and organizational measures are not sufficient. These include protective equipment such as helmets, respirators or gloves.
Conclusion
Lone working has become unavoidable in the modern working world due to both technological progress and flexible working models.
The variety of activities at lone working sites ranges from office work to hazardous maintenance work. The assessment and differentiation of lone working based on the level of risk is crucial for the implementation of protective measures.
There are many reasons for working alone, but working alone requires occupational health and safety measures that must be tailored to the specific working conditions.
The effectiveness of the rescue chain must be guaranteed so that the person working alone can carry out their professional activities safely.
